Meta Platforms (META.O) issued an apology on Tuesday for the inadvertent removal of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s social media posts mourning Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh.
The posts in question contained his expressions of condolence to a Hamas official following the assassination of the national leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Meta was sorry for “an operational error”, adding that the content had been restored with “the correct newsworthy label,” a Meta spokesperson told Reuters.
The US social media giant designates Hamas as a “dangerous organisation” and bans content praising the group. It uses a mix of automated detection and human review to remove or label graphic visuals.
Anwar posted on Facebook and Instagram on 31 July a video recording of his phone call with a Hamas official to offer condolences over Haniyeh’s death. He also posted a picture from his last meeting with Haniyeh in Qatar in May, along with a condolence message.
It was the second run-in Meta has had with the Malaysian government, which called the takedown of the posts unjust, discriminatory and a suppression of free speech. Malaysia’s communications minister and members of the Prime Minister’s Office met Meta representatives on Monday to seek an explanation.
In a similar incident in May, Meta restored Facebook posts by Anwar over his meeting with Haniyeh, saying they were taken down in error.
Muslim-majority Malaysia, a supporter of the Palestinian cause, has warned that firm action could be taken against Meta and other social media companies if they blocked pro-Palestinian content on their platforms.
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